If you live in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont or Washington, you may be wondering if your enhanced driver’s license will be accepted at the security checkpoint come October 1, 2020.
The short answer is, yes! State-issued enhanced driver’s licenses are acceptable to verify your identity at the TSA checkpoint.
State-issued enhanced driver’s licenses – EDLs for short – are issued using a secure process and include technology to make travel easier. States close to the United States border can issue EDLs to comply with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative ensuring all travelers crossing borders are using acceptable IDs that denote identity and citizenship when entering the United States. Some states issue both REAL ID-compliant licenses and EDLs: Michigan, Vermont, Minnesota, and New York. Washington state only issues EDLs.
Starting October 1, 2020, every passenger will need to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, EDL, or another acceptable form of identification (such as a passport), to board federally regulated commercial aircraft within the U.S. See the list of acceptable IDs at tsa.gov.
REAL ID is important! It prevents individuals from using fraudulent identification to board a plane, for example. REAL ID full enforcement will begin October 1, 2020, so travelers should prepare to bring proper identification to get through security.
For more information on REAL ID, visit tsa.gov/real-id. Visit your state’s driver’s licensing agency website to find out how to obtain a REAL ID or EDL.
Jay Wagner
